Show ContentsSpenceley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Spenceley surname derives from the Old French word "despense," from the Latin "dispendere" meaning "to dispense;" as such, it is thought to have been an metonymic occupational surname for someone in charge of the pantry of a great house or monastery. The Middle English word "spense" means "larder" or "storeroom."

Early Origins of the Spenceley family

The surname Spenceley was first found in Yorkshire, where Simon del Spens (or de la Despense) was on record in 1300, in the Charters of Guisburn Priory, Yorkshire. Other early records include Amice ate Spense, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex of 1327; and William atte Spence listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in that same year.

Early History of the Spenceley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spenceley research. Another 243 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1320, 1358, 1365, 1385, 1390, 1426, 1428 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Spenceley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spenceley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Spence, Spens, Spense, Spenceley, Spencley and many more.

Early Notables of the Spenceley family

More information is included under the topic Early Spenceley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Spenceley family to Ireland

Some of the Spenceley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


West Indies Spenceley migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 1
Spenceley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • John Spenceley, who sailed to Barbados in 1635
  • John Spenceley, aged 24, who landed in Barbados in 1635 2
  • Mr. John Spenceley, (b. 1611), aged 24, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Spenceley (post 1700) +

  • Alfred Spenceley (b. 1890), English Amateur Boxing Association of England lightweight champion in 1911
  • George Spenceley, English photographer, mountaineer on the South Georgia Survey, 1955-56, eponym of Spenceley Glacier, Antarctica


  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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